Week 7: In conclusion

Assessment is key to fostering learning and certifying students’ performance. Getting assessments right needs careful design, effective communication and requires all parties (students, teachers and institutional staff) to follow the right processes to ensure academic integrity and the integrity of student results. From the student’s perspective, assessment is the most significant influence on their experience of higher education. It is central to framing how they learn and what they achieve (Boud et al., 2010). Teachers are charged with being fair and consistent in making judgments about the student’s work. Students themselves need to develop the capacity to make judgements of their own work as well as others, so they can be effective learners and be successful in the workplace (Boud et al., 2010). The following seven principles for effective assessment, developed by Boud et al. (2010), are our final take-home messages for you to consider. 

Assessment has the most effect when: 

• it is used to engage students in learning that is productive; 
• feedback is used to actively improve student learning; 
• students and teachers become responsible partners in learning and assessment; 
• students are inducted into the assessment practices and cultures of higher education; 
• assessment for learning is placed at the center of subject and program design; 
• assessment for learning is a focus for staff and institutional development; and 
• it provides inclusive and trustworthy representation of student achievement.